


Swinging On Tightropes

by adozendeadroses



Category: High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: Emoji Usage, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, No Sex Rule (For Now), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Secret Relationship, Teenage Dorks, good boyfriends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:41:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28684992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adozendeadroses/pseuds/adozendeadroses
Summary: Ryan and Chad have been tiptoeing around their friends to have their relationship flourish. But with graduation looming on their minds, fears and anxieties bubble to the surface.
Relationships: Chad Danforth/Ryan Evans, Mentioned Troy Bolton/Gabriella Montez
Comments: 11
Kudos: 60





	1. Hush, Hush

**Author's Note:**

> I’M BACK!! 4 years later and I got another Chad/Ryan fic in the works. Whew, I missed these gays. Enjoy please: I know they’re a bit out of character but I wrote it during my own gay panic

It’s absolutely ridiculous; it really is.

Hiding a relationship from everyone in school is one thing, but putting on a mask in front of your friends to keep a reputation? Now that’s just ridiculous.

That was exactly what Ryan was feeling as he stepped out of musical rehearsals, tired of the bickering and deciding to take a small detour to watch the basketball team practice. The gym that his “boyfriend” was currently practicing in.

It would be romantic, in some way, to go down there to cheer him on, but then again, maybe if they were under other circumstances.

First and foremost; Chad isn’t out. 

It wasn’t like he really labeled himself, either, to be fair, but it was still annoying to deal with. 

Another issue bloomed from the fact that this was the last year the curly-haired boy was even on this team. That meant that he was going to make the most of his time there, and he certainly couldn’t be distracted by a summer fling. 

Thirdly, and most importantly of all; they both had reputations to uphold. Dancers and jocks didn’t exactly click, and that’s just how the status quo worked.

Taking a long breath, Ryan crossed his arms. No guy had ever made him this confused. On one hand, maybe it was for the best that they were hidden. Hidden meant less prying eyes, less explanations, and less bullying. On the other, however, it was utterly draining to have to be in the same class as the guy he made out with over the weekend-and whom he may have gone all the way with- and having to act like they weren’t a thing. 

They really weren’t even considered friends by most standards, but apparently they were, if Chad’s words last summer meant anything.

“You’re my friend, Ryan,” that voice echoed in Ryan’s mind, causing him to shake his head and close his eyes.

Feelings were complicated and stupid, and with the looming fear of college fast approaching, things were getting harder and harder to just goof off on. Grades are everything, performances are everything, and prom dates are everything. Everything is way more important than it should be, and it’s running everyone dry. Especially Ryan. All he wanted is to go to Juilliard, and to make sure he and Chad last; if the relationship was worth it.

Sharpay had been another issue. If she found out that he was seeing Chad, then things would get a little... dicey. It would not be ideal having to explain to his dear sister what exactly he and Danforth got up to. Not to mention the fact that she hated the Wildcats if they weren’t Troy. In a way, he could see that; Troy wasn’t ugly. 

Along with this possibility looming over his head was the aspect of college and the scholarship. What if Chad went somewhere out of state? What if he was just another straight guy’s gay fling in high school? What if he never saw him again?

Ryan grimaced, and bit at his lower lip harshly. He checked the time on his watch. If he was right, in the next half-hour, Chad would be out of practice.

Maybe waiting for him wouldn’t be as odd if he came up with an excuse.

Gabriella was close to the Wildcats, and she was his friend, right? 

“Hey,” Ryan texted her after a few moments of hesitation, “is it cool if I use you as an excuse to-“ he stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn’t told her about Chad. He hadn’t told anyone about Chad.

Swallowing his pride and his rapidly beating heart, he finished his text. “is it cool if I use you as an excuse to talk to someone after practice?? it’s v important 🥺😥”

After a few seconds, three dots appeared. “Sure! Explain later okay? 😇😘,” her message read.

Ryan felt a smile creeping onto his features. “Oh, Gabriella Montez, how I adore thee,” he muttered to himself as he sent her a quick ‘thank you,’ stuffing his phone in his pocket and letting out a sigh of relief.

Glancing back at the gym, he began to approach it, the sound of his dress-shoes clanking against the eerily quiet hallways as if he was wearing heels. Stopping just before the gym doors, he peeked inside, and his heart began to flutter.

He couldn’t see much, but what he could see of Chad was like nothing he’d seen in his wildest fantasies.

Sweat glistened against his caramel-tan skin, his brows furrowed in concentration as he dribbled the ball across the court. His curls bounced on his shoulders as he did so, his strong jaw quirking upwards as the sight of a smirk overtook his features.

Ryan swallowed thickly, and took a sharp intake of breath. The look on Chad’s face was dangerous; the look that he’d given him when they’d had sex for the first time. 

It wasn’t nearly as awkward as he’d been expecting, and, surprisingly, Chad could appear predatory. Extremely predatory, as if he was hunting down the rest of the team in order to get a winning shot.

It was downright sinful, and hot as hell.

Before Ryan knew it, the sound of Coach Bolton’s whistle scraped through the air, and the guys all retreated to the locker room. The ball clattered to the floor as Troy shot one last hoop, as if he was trying to show off.

Ryan suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as Coach Bolton grabbed the ball, and soon the gym was empty.

Taking that as his cue to go outside to wait for Chad, Ryan shrugged his shoulders, and shoved his hands in his pockets. Once more, his shoes caused the halls to echo, but he could feel that his steps felt just a bit lighter.

Sitting down on the steps in front of the school, he glanced up at the sky. It was still day-time, with tons of fluffy clouds filling the soft blue sky with radiant hues of turquoise. It was warm, but not too warm, being that it was only Spring.

His stomach lurched when he realized what day it was; 6 weeks till graduation.  
6 weeks till he may never see Chad again, and 6 weeks until Troy’s party, where ultimately alcohol will be provided, and there’s a chance that Chad will hook up with some girl and forget about him.

Ryan buried his head in his hands. 

They do say that first loves never last, if one could call this love. But, after that fateful baseball game last summer, it was as if he couldn’t get Chad Danforth out of his mind.

His coffee brown eyes, his gorgeous smile, his lovely laugh; it was as if everything was suddenly filled with Chad, Chad, Chad. Chad’s curls, and how soft they were to touch. Chad’s hands, and how firm, yet harsh they felt against his skin. Chad’s lips, which were normally so chapped, but had been getting better whenever he’d take chapstick from Ryan on their dates. Speaking of dates, Chad’s bedroom was another thing; it was absolutely nothing like he’d imagined.

It was dark red, for one thing, with bright red sheets and basketball stuff all over the wall. Above his bed was a picture of last year’s basketball team, surrounded by several other pictures. His bed was rather large, being a king, and had rather soft pillows against the comforter. Those nights spent quietly kissing and feeling one another were always on that bed, and it was always so thrilling to be in such a situation.

After all, he was a hidden guest in Chad’s house, who wasn’t out, with his pants bunched around his ankles and the basketball player’s hands running under his shirt and into his boxers. No parent would really want to walk into that.

Though, he supposed he should’ve feel far more guilty for that situation. He was the one who instigated the whole touching fiasco; even if Chad was more hands-on than he was.

Gradually, he let himself calm down. Chad wouldn’t really want to have to deal with him having an anxiety attack because of something as silly as overthinking.

Soon enough, he didn’t really have to worry, as the Wildcats basketball team started to exit the building. Troy led the way, of course; why wouldn’t he, being the star player. He and Chad were engaged in this deep conversation, where both of them had these big cheesy smiles on.

Taking a long, deep breath, Ryan rose to his feet, and sauntered over to the two of them.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt,” he began as he stopped in front of them, attempting the urge not to smile once Chad looked his way. “But I come baring a summoning from dear Gabriella.”

Immediately, Troy shut up, his eyes getting comically big and wide. “What is it?”

“Something about her needing you to go over as soon as possible? I dunno, she sounded a little upset,” Ryan quickly lied, crossing his arms and avoiding eye-contact with Chad until he was finished.

Rapidly, Troy ran; shoving Chad’s basketball back in his hands and practically tripping over his feet. He raced to his car and quickly got inside, zooming out of the parking lot much faster than he should’ve been.

Chad glanced over at Ryan, a large grin spreading across his face. “Something tells me that Gabriella didn’t need to talk to him.”

Ryan innocently looked his way. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Wildcat.”

Shaking his head fondly and placing his hand on his hip, Chad rose a brow at him. “Are you trying to get me out of here or something?”

“I really just wanted to talk right now, but I’m more than willing to go somewhere else and do that,” Ryan replied, allowing himself to be guided to Chad’s car; his new one. Before summer started, he heard something about him wanting to buy it to take that Taylor girl on a date, but now, it seemed like he was the one able to go riding in it. It was a nice shade of red, but Ryan didn’t know car types well enough to identify it. 

“You know, you’re lucky that Troy isn’t the brightest; you’re an awful liar,” Chad commented as they both got into their seats, buckling up as he revved the engine.

“Am I?” Ryan hummed as he buckled up, taking off his hat and shaking his hair around. His head was still sweaty from dancing, so it stuck up straight; the blond locks falling haphazardly into his eyes.

Reaching over and ruffling it gently, Chad kept his other hand on the wheel, giving Ryan a charming grin. “How was rehearsal?”

Pouting a little and pulling out the passenger side mirror, Ryan fussed with his hair, shooting a small glare Chad’s way. “It was okay, though I think Ms. Darbus is getting tired of having to watch us prance around the stage singing peppy songs when this is the last year she has Shar and me.”

At the mention of Sharpay, Chad wrinkled his nose, pulling out of the parking lot and getting onto the road to avoid Ryan noticing his distaste. “It’s the last year she has Gabriella and Troy, too. I still can’t believe that it’s almost over, you know?”

Ryan nodded, eyeing Chad’s hand and deciding briefly not to hold it last second to avoid any awkwardness. “Yeah.”

“Sorry for bringing that up. I don’t mean to be all down in the dumps with you,” Chad clarified as he avoided his gaze, keeping a firm eye on the road to ensure that they would arrive at his house safely.

“This coming from the same guy who wanted to woo me? Who would’ve guessed,” Ryan remarked playfully, grinning at the sight of a small smile on Chad’s lips. “If I’m so bad at lying, than you’re worse at hiding your feelings.”

“Shut up, Evans!” Chad exclaimed, sticking his tongue out like a child and causing Ryan to laugh boisterously.

“You called me Ryan before!”

“Nope, I don’t remember that.”

“You did, I swear! It was right after you kissed me!”

“You can’t prove that,” Chad mumbled.

Ryan huffed. “Yeah, okay.”

“Just so you know,” Chad began, his voice dropping an octave. “My mom’s out of town this weekend. Do you wanna come over again?”

It took all of Ryan’s willpower to not just instantly agree and start planning everything. He had to think it over; besides, wasn’t there a game on Saturday? The aspect of watching Chad at a game without any fear of anyone assuming anything was.. nice. Extremely nice, even.

“For sure,” he muttered as he looked out the window, smiling at the tall trees above them swaying above the road. They were especially beautiful this time of year; the colors all blended so beautifully as if they were paintings.

All was quiet the remainder of the ride, but they’d both be lying if they didn’t sneak a glance or two. In fact, there was a brief moment where they made eye-contact, and both were too embarrassed to be caught staring to address it properly. 

Instead, they remained silent, choosing only to talk when the car came to a stop in Chad’s driveway.

“Race you upstairs to my room?” Chad suggested as he stepped out of the car, throwing a wink Ryan’s way when the other boy got into a running position.

“What do I get if I win?” Ryan questioned, stretching his lithe arms above his head. “Remember; nothing that will get you in trouble.” 

“Okay, ‘mom,’” snorted the athlete, ruffling his sweaty curls with a grunt. “All I know is I need a shower. You good with waiting?”

“I need one too, but I’m good with that. Your shower’s not big enough for the both of us.” 

“Could be. We haven’t tried.” Throwing a wink in for emphasis, Chad ushered them both inside, forgetting the race entirely until Ryan sped up the stairs past him. “Hey! That’s just plain rude, man!”

“First one there gets to shower!” Sticking out his tongue from the top of the stairs, Ryan burst into laughter and scurried towards the bathroom, knowing Chad was sprinting up after him and was just a few steps behind. 

Snaking around the grabby hands reaching for him, he ducked around the corner, the blonde yelped; caught off guard when the other teen quite literally tackled him off his feet. “You cheater!” He squawked, kicking out his legs like a newborn fawn to get the muscular form off of him. 

“All’s fair in love and war!” Retorted Chad, grinning from ear to ear as he placed an innocent smile upon his face. “We could just save water and, you know, bathe together; like I said.”

“Babe,” Ryan began, feeling his cheeks flush at the term and watching Chad’s do the same. “Not that I don’t love when we have time alone, but I need to be able to walk for the next few weeks.” Poking his index finger to brush Chad’s cheek, he moved the finger to boop his nose in turn. “That means no sex until this is all over.”

Chad’s jaw dropped. “No way.”

“You’re too-“ motioning to himself, Ryan smiled nervously; all teeth and little emotion other than anxiousness. “Hands-on. And we should do our best, yeah? So no sex.”

“Evaaannnns,” whined the basketball player with a groan, burying his face in the jut of Ryan’s stomach. “You’re killing me. You’ve actually killed me. I’m dead now.”

Rolling his eyes fondly and flicking his lover’s forehead, Ryan shook his head; not to be swayed in the slightest. “I mean it. And don’t call me that when you’ve had your tongue down my throat.”

“You’ve had worse.” 

Smacking him lightly on the back of his head, Ryan managed to rise to his feet, ignoring Chad’s whining protests. “I just meant no- no penetration. Okay?” Gritting his teeth at how awkward that sounded, he helped Chad to his feet, grumbling under his breath when the jock stared down at him with a look of challenge in his eyes. There was that same glint from the baseball game last summer; the one that made the dancer’s knees weak and his mind go blank. Reaching behind himself, Ryan counted to ten before ducking into the bathroom, barely avoiding Chad’s lips when he shut and locked the door. “I’ll be out soon!” He called at his irritated knocking, snorting as he slowly stripped from his sweaty clothes and started the warm water.

Outside, Chad scolded himself for his behavior. He definitely overstepped a boundary; what was he thinking? Ryan was being so understanding and even just wanting to make sure they both finished strong, but all he could think with was his dick. “It’s all your fault,” he muttered down to his crotch, rolling his eyes as he retreated to his room down the hall. 

If he wanted to make it up to Ryan, he would have to show him that he could behave without a little bit of sex every now and then. Did that mean they weren’t gonna have sex that weekend, then? It wasn’t like they slept together every time he stayed the night, but it was certainly an activity he’d grown used to. 

He didn’t need it, though. He’d show Ryan. He’d be the best non-sexual boyfriend in the whole world, thank you very much. Brooding out his plan, Chad played with one of his curls, furrowing his brows as he thought of what he could do to make Ryan feel special. Troy had given Gabriella a necklace, but that wasn’t Ryan’s thing. He saw the occasional ring on his finger for style, but never a necklace. If he had to think about it realistically, the best option would probably be to get something they could both secretly share. Something that meant something to both of them; something that could be a symbol of their relationship.

.. In desperation, he knew he’d have to ask Sharpay, but that wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to do. She’d sniff out immediately what he was playing at, and he and Ryan would be forced to out themselves. Thus, he had to think of a way to ask without seeming too obvious. Get her something of Troy’s, maybe? A comb? His cologne? What did she like about Troy, anyway?


	2. Chapter 2

It turned out, Sharpay was absolutely crazy about everything and anything Troy Bolton. How did Chad get this information, you may ask? Well, it wasn’t necessarily hard when you were best buds with the guy. Sure, Troy was about as self-aware as a box of rocks, but it wasn’t hard to get something from him to give to her. If it was for Ryan, he didn’t mind sacrificing a few ‘cool points.’

Surprisingly, Troy agreed for them to hang out the next day after practice, where he’d more than likely be able to convince him to hand over something of value. Nothing too crazy; maybe a bracelet, or a signed photo of him? (Chad had no idea why he even did that, but it was Troy; he was full of weird surprises.)

By the time Ryan had found his way back in with a towel around his waist and a relaxed smile on his face, Chad was buzzing with excitement for what he could gift his lover. “You look happy,” the blond hummed, borrowing a pair of boxers and sliding them up his pale calves. “Did I make you wait long?”

“Nah,” Chad answered easily, discreetly hiding his phone under the covers with a charming grin. “Did you save some hot water for me?”

“Actually, I prefer my showers cold. It helps wake me up.” Straightening his posture the slightest bit got Chad’s attention to dart to Ryan’s spine, which stuck out ever so slightly from under the borrowed hoodie he’d stolen. Lean muscles tightened on his belly as he crept over to his boyfriend, kissing atop his head and wrinkling his nose at the same time. “You stink.”

“Gee, thanks,” Chad snorted, hopping off the bed and chucking off his shirt. He knew that Ryan had a staring problem, but it was always a treat to see the dancer’s face flush when it came to just a little bit of eye-candy. Flexing, the athlete gently pushed past him, clearing his throat when Ryan’s gaze hardly faltered. “Make yourself comfortable, okay?”

As soon as Chad was out of the room, Ryan let out a trembling, anxious breath. Eyeing the comforter as if it was an unknown species on a foreign planet, the blond titled his head, noting how the bed dipped and seemed to contort on one side. One of the pillows were also a bit more crinkled, but he supposed that was because Chad had a preference to make it so his hair wasn’t all over his face. 

Slowly, he pushed himself down onto the bed, sinking down until he laid flat on his side, facing the window to his right. It didn’t feel like the silk sheets he had back home; Chad’s bed felt more like a comfortable sweater that you put on after getting in from a snowy day. Blond hair went askew as Ryan pressed his face into the sheets, inhaling and exhaling for the smallest of moments.

It made his heart thump wildly in his chest; just the smell of Chad’s cologne, or the feel of his bed. Knowing that this was where he’d been weeks ago, where he and Chad shared their first time together. While they both fumbled a few times, it was overall a good time. Especially after, where post-coital cuddling against Chad’s chest had sent fuzzy warmth up Ryan’s spine. 

Was this why Troy and Gabrielle were always so happy? Just by holding hands, they could light up the room like a candle in the darkness. What was it they said it was like? ‘Catching lighting?’ Ryan had to stifle a laugh; who thought of things like that? Sure, he was an optimistic guy, but this wasn’t love. Maybe a fling, maybe not. He definitely liked Chad, or else he wouldn’t be so intimate and close to him.

.. So, then why did the idea of anything happening make him feel so depressed? Nosing at the pillow with a dramatic sigh, Ryan closed his eyes, feeling like a ton of bricks had hit across his chest. 

Feelings sucked, he decided. No matter what he did, or tried to do, it always came back to Chad. Studying for a test in Econ? _‘Chad told me he hates the teacher he has.’_ Going through a new dance routine? _‘And to think he said he didn’t dance.’_ Doing vocal exercises?...

Yeah, that one was a no-brainer. 

He could still focus enough to have his own life going, of course. This had been one of the first times in weeks he and Chad had been able to just hang out, but with Finals fast approaching, he knew the inevitable would soon be happening. And that thought made all those insecurities come crawling back in.

_‘I don’t want him to forget about me.’_ Tossing and turning, he pressed his cheek against the sheets, just to get rid of the warmth on his face. _‘Maybe I should do something?’_

Sharpay was always talking about how she had gotten Troy this, or was going to get Troy that. Honestly, he was a common name in the Evans household. After meeting their parents, Troy was considered to be the new son-in-law. Ryan cringed at the thought; his father was bad enough when it came to him, he didn’t really want to hash through issues like that at the dinner table. It wasn’t like being gay was the biggest deal for his mother, but oh boy, did daddy dearest not take it well. 

A bit of yelling, followed by some coarse names, and finally, grim resentment. Sure, the love was still there, but the bond had been severed the moment Ryan confessed that no, he didn’t have a girlfriend, and he never would. While Sharpay had tried setting him up with Kelsey, it went about as well as one would think, being that she was a raging lesbian and he was, well, himself. Still, they continued to stay friends, and even considered going to Prom together if they didn’t have dates.

_‘Taylor had wanted to go to Prom with Chad before they broke up,’_ Ryan thought bitterly, tugging the sheets up to his chest in a pout. _‘Would he even want to go?’_ The image of Chad in a suit was frankly adorable, if a bit odd. Ryan liked to imagine their color scheme to be a soft blue and a burgundy, being that the colors went so well together. Also, in this mental image, Chad had pulled back his hair, revealing that devilishly handsome face.

Ryan positively swooned, pressing the pillow to his face to suppress a scream. ‘Focus! Focus! What would make Chad never be able to forget me? Something that he sees every day, and that he wouldn’t have to take off-‘

“Whatcha doin there?” 

Throwing the pillow towards the doorway in shock, Ryan’s face burned a lovely scarlet all the way up to his ears. “I- taking a nap.”

“Uh huh. Sure.” Tugging on some loose sweats over his boxers, Chad tilted his head, giving a dazzling grin to his flustered lover. “Scooch, I wanna cuddle.”

Biting back the quip on the tip of his tongue, Ryan easily rolled over, plastering himself against Chad’s warm body when he settled in next to him. “You were gone a while.”

“I was?” Glancing at the clock on the wall, Chad clicked his tongue, running his fingers through Ryan’s damp hair. “Huh.”

“Do I wanna know?” Ryan dryly remarked, nuzzling up against Chad’s throat and letting out a sigh. “Cause I don’t know if I do.”

“I was just thinking,” Chad clarified, flicking at his boyfriend’s forehead and getting an offended squawk for his efforts. “You were the one with your mind in the gutter.”

“I’ve changed my mind. No more sex _ever._ ” 

Immediately, Chad stiffened, reaching to cup Ryan’s cheeks and forcing blue eyes to meet brown. “Hey, I was just kidding. Don’t gotta go that far.”

“And I don’t appreciate it,” Ryan huffed, closing his eyes as Chad pressed delicate kisses against his head as if he was something special. “.. You’re _not_ going to flirt your way out of this, Danforth.”

Raising a curious brow, Chad tilted his head, his curls falling into his eyes in tight coils and springs. “Who said I was flirting?” 

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Ryan uttered something about Chad being a tease, followed by sprawling atop him and comfortably snuggling up. Of course, Chad didn’t just let him lay, rather petting his back and kissing at him until he’d had enough.

Just as Ryan pressed upwards, and their lips barely brushed, there was a knock, followed by the sound of keys opening the front door.


End file.
